Tiger Beat magazine was founded in September 1965 (issues cost 35 cents) by Los Angeles-based Teen magazine founder Charles Laufer. He saw further need - and profit - in promoting a publication devoted to the rising young stars / teen idols who ran the gamut of TV, movie, fashion, sports, music, and stage. Laufer found devoted female readers, whose ages averaged from 10 to 19. The magazine was published by Ralph Benner.

Tiger Beat also released spinoff magazines and special issues. Spinoffs were Tiger Beat Fave (1967-1973), Tiger Beat Spectacular (1970-1973), and Tiger Beat Star (1977-1990). Specials included Tiger Beat Official Monkees Spectacular (16 issues), Tiger Beat Official Partridge Family Magazine (18 issues), booklets such as the Leif Garrett Photo Album, as well as a number of paperback books over the years, including The Brady Bunch mystery series.

The magazine was renowned for its vividly colorful covers and "pin-ups" (so-called because girls tacked and adorned them on their bedroom walls) with photos of the latest teen idols on them. Tiger Beat held its office right on the fabled Hollywood Boulevard, where it captured a generation of youth with cheesy articles and quality photos taken by excellent staff photographers.

The magazine ran articles with such catchy titles as "Shaun: A Junk Food Junkie?" "Leif's Sad Childhood," "Bobby's Favorite Type of Girls," "Olivia's New Love," "Marie: Fighting with Donny?" and the like. The magazine also ran a staple of columns: Meow! by Sharon Lee and contests (Treasure Chest, for one), such as vying for the stars' personal belongings. I particularly liked the clean-cut image where they even omitted the "tender" subject of smoking, even though some pin-ups featured questionable shirtless males.

Tiger Beat has done remarkably well during five decades of cultural changes, as well as being able to adapt financially to each of those decades. It still sells at various stores across the United States and some other countries, as well as the sought-after past issues on eBay.

Tiger Beat was not the first teen-idol magazine. The more provocative 16 Magazine, with its first issue released in May 1957, was actually the New York-based rival and is still thriving today.

I, too, was a giddy pre-teen who loved and collected (and saved) many Tiger Beat magazines. Legend has it that I first discovered the magazine at aged 12, when my mother somehow purchased one issue at a supermarket, courtesy of my begging youngest sister (which I'm thankful about nowadays!). My paternal grandmother helped me to afford them (thanks Grandma, Bless you in Heaven).

Interestingly, the founder's son, Scott Laufer, purchased the magazine in 2003.

As for present value; very early magazines might average $15 if intact (including pin-ups) in excellent condition. The first issue of Sept. 1965 might yield up to $20. Later issues average $3-$5.

For more, here are two Web sites:
http://www.tigerbeatmag.com (official Web site, currently in the works)
http://www.sunshineday.com/neugast (Mrs. Neugast's Fan Worship Page for Tiger Beat fans)